Seal fastener for freight-car doors



June 18, 1929. H. v. CONOVER SEAL FASTENER FOR FREIGHT GAR DOORS Filed April 24, 1926 gwue'ntoz attoz mugs Patented June 18, 1929 UNITED" STATES? HENRY v. conovnn,

or Bernardo, new YORK, AssIGN'oRoF onn-rranrftronnwnnn H. WOLKIND, or BUFFALO, NE YORK:

SEAL FASTENER FOR FREIGHT-CA E, DOORS;

i Application filed April 24,

This invention relates to a seal fastening and is more particularly intended to be used to seal the sliding doors of railroad freight cars in such a manner that an inspection of the look will give immediate notice of any tamporing with the same and enable the officials to promptlyinstitute a search for any goods removed from the car by unauthorized persons, and also by means of periodic inspections, will fix, within certain limits, the

place where goods Were removed.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide such a seal fastening on which the seal must be shattered and the fragments removed beforeaccess may be had tothe latching mechanism. a

A further object is to provide such a fastening in which the seal is easily inserted before locking the same and in c which the latching operation automatically confines the seal. c l H Astill further object is to provide such a fastening in which the fragments from the broken seal fall from the fastening and do not impedethe free operation of the same.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of the door and body of, a; freight car showing fmy seal fastening in itslatched position.

Figure 2 is aufrontelevation of the seal fastening, in a partially unlatched position showing the cover plate removed from the casing of the fastening. a 7

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3, Fig l. I

Figure ,4: is adetached rear view of the cover plate. 4 c Y I a Figure '5 is aside elevation of the fragile seal disk used to seal the fastening.

In: its"generalorganizationmy seal fastening comprises an apertured casingwhich houses: the latching mechanism and into which thexseal is inserted so as to cover the aperture and prevent access to the "latching mechanism until the seal is shattered and the fragments removed. 1

The enclosing casing is relatively flat and rectangular in form and comprises a' rear section 6 which is formed to provide the rear, upper, lower and side walls 7 8, 9 and 10 of the casingland a cover plate 11 which issecured to theufront faces of the upper, lower and side walls of the casing/by rivets 12 or other; suitable fastenings. The rear 192a Serial No. 104,348.

the side of the freight car by-bolts 14L. 1 1 At ts outer sides the enclosing casing is provided with vertical flanges 15 which extend laterally outward from the rear side of the same.

projects outwardly from the margin of the rear section at theupper andvertical sides thereofand thereby forms with thefianges l5, and the upper ear 13, marginal channels 16 which receive the fasteningarm 17 The fasteningarm 17 is =U-shapedand embraces theenclosing casing,;and at its outer end is secured to the doorD ofthe freight car.

a The cover plate 11 is largerthan, the rear sectlon of the enclosing casing and In order to permit the fastening arm to be raised andfreed from the casing when it is desired to open the door, the armis formed at its outer end to provide an elongated bail 18 which is slidin ly secured to the doorx by 1 a-staple 19. p a I I c 'Wh6Il-il3hG' fastening arm -17 is forced downwardlyin thevside channels 16 ofthe enclosing casingit is automatically fastened if thereto by a beveledlatch 20 which is movable c intokandout .of the casing through a recess 21 provided in the side wall'thereof and engages a recess 22 provided on the innersideof the fastening arm This latch is formed integrally with E alaterally movable plate 23 whiclr'plate is arranged within the" casing and at its'opposite end is engaged by a fiat spring 2 1 which is secured to the casing by als'crew 25 and yieldingly holds saidplate,

and latch in their outer 'orlatching positions; 1

For the purpose of freeing thefastening arm 17 from the latch 20, the cover plate l1 ofi'thetcasinglis provided centrally with a circular aperture 26 and in *rearvofthis aperture thelockingplate 23 is recessed as indicated at 27 whereby the operator can -con- 1 venientlyinsert his finger into the enclosing casing "and move the latch plate 23"backwardly therebydisengagingthe latch 20 fromthe recess-22inthefastening arm. 4

- @The fastening issealeid by a fragile seal disk 28 which is supported within the casing so as to'cover the aperturei26 in thecover and thereby prevent access to the fastening mechanism withiny'the casing. This seal I may be made'of any material which is capable of being readily shattered into small weak and fragile seal.

ti-This indicia is readily seen through the aper- .turein the cover plate when the fastening is fragments by a blow. from any convenient instrument, but is preferably made of a disk of wood cut to present the end grain on its front and rear faces and therebyprovide. a Onfitsopposite fiat faces this seal disk preferably has suitable 'indicia stamped or burned into the same which indicates the name of the railroad and the seal number, or any other record desired.

being inspected, or V I r The seal is held overthe aperture 26 inthe cover by downwardly converging ribs 29 j provided on the inner side of the cover plate on opposite sides of theaperture which en-. gages theperiphery of the sealas indicated in Figures 1, 3 and 4c, the seal being sup ported on its frontandfrear sides by the I cover plate andlatch plate as indicated in I F igure3. Above these ribs, the upper wall 8 of the casing is recessed to form a relatively large opening 30 through which the seal is inserted into the enclosing casing and fragments'of the seal drop when it is broken to open the fastening. It will .be observed that whenthe seal-is inserted, and the fastening arm forced down and locked to the casing, the upper part of the fastening arm n covers the opening 30 and preventsthe seal ffromvbeing removed. The seal is sufficiently loosely-arranged in the casing to permit the plate toslide' freely and latch the fastening arm to the casingbut at all timesextends over the aperture 26 and prevents access thereto when intact. V

- seals now in use should the consignor or con- I against the weather is 'affordedby providing a bead 32 on the front side-of the fastening arm which engages'the margin of the cover.

plate andIforms-a relativelyclosejoint with the same. By this means, it is imposible to insert a tool so as to engage the beveled latch 20 andmove the same inwardly. 7 I f Provision is made forthe use of the wire signee require the use of'such a seal in addition to the present seal fastening. 'For this I purpose an apertured lug 33 isprovided'on the casing cover, and the lower endof the fastening armis'p'rovided with an opening 3a which, is adapted to register with the opening in the lug33 and permit thewire of g the seal to be passed through the same, the

seal now in use:

ends being united by the welllrnown lead As a whole thisseal fastening is verysimple, durable and inexpensive of construction.

Itcan be quickly locked and unfastened and reliably operates to prevent opening of the car door without breaking the seal.

I claim as'my invention:

1. In a seal fastening, an apertured enclosing casing, a latching mechanism arrangedin said enclosing casing and operable through said aperture, a fragile seal, and means for supporting said seal in a position in which it extends across said aperture and prevents access to said latching mechanism, said casing havingan "opening for the introduction of said seal i-ntosaid' casing,

and an opening for the removal of the fragments of saidseal when broken 2. In a seal fastening, an apertured enclosing casing, a latching mechanism ar. ranged in said enclosing casing and operable through said aperture, a fastening member arranged externally of said casing and being adapted tocooperate with said, latching mechanism, a fragile seal, and supporting-means arranged on the interior of said casing for supporting said seal in a position in which it extends across said aperture and prevents access to said latching mechanism, saidcasing having a relativelylarge opening for the introduction of said seal into said casing, and a relatively small opening for spring'tending to hold saidplate and latch Further protection against; opening the fastening by the insertionof a tool and also close the opening at the upper end of the casing.

4. A seal fastening comprising an apertured'enclosingcasing, a U-shaped fasten-Z ing member adapted to-engage the opposite sides of said enclosing casing, a latching 5 mechanlsm arranged in the enclosingcasing and having a latch adapted to be moved outwardly into latching engagement with said fastening member, a fragile seal arranged in said casingover said aperture and preventng access to said fastening mechanism and,

ing casing comprising a rear Wall, upper, lower and side walls and an apertured cover plate secured to said upper, lower and side walls, said cover and rear wall extending outwardly from said side and upper walls and forming marginal channels, a vertically movable U-shaped fastening member adapted to engage the opposite sides of said casing, said fastening member being arranged within said marginal channels, a horizontally movable fastening plate arranged in said casing, a latch secured to said latch plate and adapted to be moved outwardly from said easing into latching engagement with said locking member, a spring tending to hold said plate and latch in a locking position, and a fragile seal disk, said cover plate having downwardly converging ribs on opposite sides of said seal disk adapted to engage and hold the same over said aperture, and said upper and lower easing walls being recessed to permit the insertion of the seal disk and the removal of the fragments thereof.

6. A seal fastening comprising an enclosing casing comprising a rear wall, upper, lower and side walls and'an apertured cover plate secured to said upper, lower and side walls, said cover and rear wall extending outwardly from said side and upper walls and forming marginal channels, a vertically movable U-shaped fastening member adapted to engage the opposite sides of said casing, said fastening member being arranged within said marginal channels, and having a forwardly projecting bead adapted to engage the margin of the cover plate, a horizontally movable latch plate arranged in said casing, a latch secured to said latch plate and adapted to be moved outwardly from said easing into fastening engagement with said fastening member, a spring tending to hold said plate and latch in a latching position,

and a fragile seal disk, said cover plate having downwardly converging ribs on opposite sides of said seal diskadapted to engage and hold the same over said aperture, and said upper and lower casing walls being recessed to permit the insertion of the seal disk and the removal of the fragments thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

HENRY v. CONOVER. 

